8th & 9th September 2018
ROADE CUTTING 180th ANNIVERSARY
Click here to see the poster advertising this event.
Roade Local History Society's main event for the
year celebrated the 180th Anniversary of the opening of the
London to Birmingham Railway in 1838. The event was held over the
weekend of 8th/9th September. It was included in the Heritage Open Days calendar and catalogue for 2018.
One of the most challenging and time consuming elements of the line’s
construction was the excavation of Roade Cutting, which ranks as one of
the major engineering achievements of its day. The Society applied
to have this feat recognised by the Transport Trust by awarding it Red
Wheel status, this prestigious accreditation being a highly sought after
recognition of significant transport heritage. The application was
successful and the Red Wheel was unveiled during the event. The completion of the Cutting removed the last
obstacle to the opening of the world’s first long-distance intercity
railway.
Another First for Roade!
Our event to mark this anniversary included a representative scale
model with a detailed history of the trials and tribulations which
befell our community during its building and widening, and the social
and economic impacts on the area. We are grateful for the
tremendous help we received with making the model from the Elizabeth
Woodville Schools at both Roade and Deanshanger and society members and a resident Artist.
The event also remembered the significant loss of life which befell
the Navvies and pioneering railway company servants, and included
previously unseen film and images of the locality. Many other groups and
individuals supported this event, including the
Northampton Model Railway Society displayed a period
model of Northampton Castle Station.
Below are some photos of the Roade cutting model
Two of the many areas
depicted in the Roade Cutting model
built by Roade Local History Society
and Elizabeth Woodville School
Northampton (Castle) Station built by Northampton & District Model Railway Club
The Roade Cutting model during construction
Larger versions of the images above open in a new window when clicked
L to R: John Martin, Michael Pearce, Chris Hillyard, Jarred Chapman.
John and Chris are RLHS members. Michael is a teacher and Jarred is a student at Elizabeth Woodville school.
Many visitors enjoyed guided tours of Cutting sites.
The Society’s Model of Roade Cutting was Highly Commended in the
London & North Western Society 2019 Model and Engineering Railway Competition
This was excellent news as there was stiff competition and we were
advised that “the calibre of the entries was superb and ... it would
have been justified if at least half of the entries had been awarded
joint winners”.
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Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Best Event Award
for Roade Local History Society
On
4th July 2019 RLHS received a Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Award for our
HODs event in September 2018, 'Roade Cutting 180th Anniversary &
National Transport Heritage Site Designation 2018'. We were delighted to
win as there was strong competition.
The proud RLHS representatives, Peter Mawby and Chris Hillyard (holding
plaque), are on the extreme right of the group photograph. Both played a
vital part in the project and thoroughly deserved recognition.
Many thanks to everyone who helped to make the event such a success, including:
Elizabeth Woodville School (EWS) North & South Campus for support and help from staff and students throughout the project.
Northamptonshire Community Foundation, Milton Keynes Heritage Association and local sponsors for financial support.
The Transport Trust and its Chairman, Stuart Wilkinson, for unveiling the Red Wheel and Alastair Inglis for applying for it.
The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP for opening the event
Model Team - John Martin, John Armitage, Alan Atkinson, Chris Hillyard, Peter Mawby, EWS
All the exhibitors and stall holders.
Northampton Transport Heritage bus service.
Graham Onley for loan of photographs.
Chris Clayson for organising the Roade Cutting walks.
Alvin Barby, railway historian and modeller.
Ron Johnson for the publicity which raised the profile.
Photographers Aldo Brustengi and Tony Hall.
David Wortley for 360⁰ videos of the event.
Roade WI and all the other local groups and individuals who volunteered at the event.
RLHS members.
Heritage Open Days Organisers.
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Northamptonshire Community Foundation Annual Awards 2019
We were delighted to be shortlisted for a Northamptonshire Community
Foundation Award in the Best Newcomer category re our Roade Cutting
Exhibition. John Martin was also nominated for the Lady Juliet Townsend
Award for Volunteering for his vital part in creating the Cutting
model. Unfortunately John was not well enough to attend the Awards
event on 6th November but those who went had a great evening and were
very impressed by all the saintly volunteers who were honoured there.
RLHS didn’t win Best Newcomer but out of 14 nominees, in John Griff’s
words, Saint John Martin was one of 2 Highly Commended volunteers.
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